Moral Failures, Half-Way Love, and the Wonder of Imputation

Only by true faith in Jesus Christ: that is, although my conscience accuses me, that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have never kept any of them, and am still prone always to all evil; yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never committed nor had any sins, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me;

While professional athletes have undeniable talent, unbelievable physiques, lots of money and fame and glory, they’re still human, which means they fail. Not only do they fail in their particular sport, of course, but in life off the floor/court/ice, etc. When a star athlete experiences some kind of public moral lapse, there’s often a striking question that pops up. It’s a pervasive question, whispered in coffee shops, sports bars and on Sports Center: Does this act tarnish their legacy?

I find this question incredibly insightful. The “legacy question” brings us to a theological category, and an ongoing Mockingbird theme: Imputation.

Nick Lannon wrote a killer piece on the subject, highlighting the ways in which human words are not creative in the same way as divine ones–well worth reading. In a similar vein, another pressing problem that the “legacy question” exposes is our inability to treat/view those who “transgress”—especially, and in our case, athletes who’ve failed morally—with grace or unconditionality. Our proclivity to ask the legacy question highlights our pervasive Semi-Pelagian love, or as Paul Zahl calls it, “half-way love.” We know all too well that this isn’t exclusive to sports, we ask that very question in our day-to-day relationships. Once someone breaks our trust, or hurts our feelings, it’s pretty hard not to view them in light of that act.

Just to name a few: Barry Bonds, Tiger Woods, O.J. Simpson, Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Michael Vick–at one point or another, the question has arisen: Does their scandalous behavior change things? Sure, these athletes have gobs of accolades, which their identity, as it were, rests upon. Do their moral failures corrupt their accomplishments, and therefore, their identities?

To impute means to ascribe qualities to someone that are not there intrinsically, to regard somebody as a person that he or she is not. Imputation calls bad things by a good name, and this is what grace does. On the basis of the atonement, grace imputes Christ the substitute to someone like Dorian Gray, who is in critical need. Grace calls the Selfish Giant, in Oscar Wilde’s children’s story of that name, a friend to be trusted, a friend to the end; and he becomes one. Imputing grace looks on a pathetic person, all bound up and dependent on the opinion of others, and calls her confident.

Odds are, you’ve experienced something like this in your everyday life. You might have been called smart when you’ve felt ignorant, pretty after gaining a few lb’s after Thanksgiving, trustworthy after being dishonest or simply an “I love you” when lovable is the last thing you feel. You might’ve even forgiven or loved in the same way yourself, “imputing” grace to someone who has wronged you. You probably weren’t even aware you were doing so. My wife and I got married 11 days ago, and I must say, I think I’m beginning to get a little glimpse into the wonder of it all. It’s wonderful, I think, because it mimics God’s imputation, for he “grants and imputes… to the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ” to those of us who are everything but. Which is not only a comfort to athletes who’ve fallen on their faces, but the rest of us as well. Thanks be to God.

P.S. I don’t know about you, but I loved Nick Lannon’s posts on Wednesdays. I’m excited to say that I’ll be handling the weekly sports column for the foreseeable future at Mockingbird. Though Nick’s shoes are undoubtedly big ones to fill, I’m psyched!

The older we get, the more box-cars of sin and regret we carry behind us

psalm 38: O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh…
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
7 For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, …my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever before me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.

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About

WHAT: Mockingbird seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways.

WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard – God’s word of grace and forgiveness.

HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to) a daily weblog, weekly podcasts, a quarterly print magazine, semi-annual conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative.

WHO: At present, we employ four full-time staff, David Zahl, Ethan Richardson, Margaret Pope and CJ Green, and four part-time, Sarah Condon, Bryan Jarrell, Luke Roland and Marcy Hooker. They are helped and supported by a large number of contributing volunteers and writers. Our board of directors is chaired by The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman.

WHERE: Our offices are located at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA.

WHEN: Mockingbird was incorporated in June 2007 and is currently in its 12th year of operation.

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